Towing device for vehicles

ABSTRACT

A tow basket for use in towing a vehicle. The wheels of the vehicle to be towed are lifted onto the tow basket as the basket approaches and contacts the vehicle wheels. In a preferred embodiment, the vehicle wheel is lifted by a conveyor belt onto a first roller and thus carried upwards and into the tow basket, the first roller being operatively connected to the supporting wheels of the tow basket, and the belt being superposed around and upon a plurality of rollers including the first roller. As the vehicle is lifted, a pivoting structure within the tow basket pivots with the shifting weight of the vehicle from an initial position to a final position where the wheel is securely retained. In an alternative embodiment, a novel connection is provided between the tow truck boom and a cross bar having a tow basket slidably mounted on either end; the connection provides for some degree of lateral movement during loading and unloading so that the vehicle may be loaded from or unloaded onto an uneven surface. The tow basket may be put to other uses as well, e.g. as a dolly or on a car carrier.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to towing devices, and in particularrelates to a novel apparatus and method for lifting, securing, andtowing a vehicle by its wheels.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A variety of towing devices are known for towing disabled vehicles suchas passenger cars or trucks. Specialized tow trucks sometimes include anoverhead boom from which a sling or cradle attachable to the stalledvehicle depends, and are quite popular commercially. Multi-purpose flatbed trucks, which may be adapted for temporary towing purposes, are alsoknown.

Although sling lifted tow trucks are widely used, attachment of the twobar and sling to the vehicle frame or suspension is a dirty task, and asthe lifting point of the disabled vehicle is near its front or rearbumper, damage such as denting or twisting to vehicle components is afrequent occurrence. Such damage has been increasing as more plasticparts and shock-collapsible bumpers have been incorporated intopassenger cars.

Those tow trucks which utilize a "wheel lift" apparatus usually attachto the front or rear wheels of the vehicle to be towed. However, suchtow trucks carry a much higher portion of the towed vehicle's weightthan when the lifting point is adjacent the towed vehicle bumper. Thus,although a wheel-lift two truck (which picks up the vehicle to be towedby its wheel, and in which the lifting point is closer to the center ofthe towed car as compared with a sling-lifted two truck) providesrelatively clean attachment and greatly reduces the chances of damage tothe towed vehicle, instability of the towed load in transit duringacceleration and deceleration and instability of the towing truck due tolongitudinal tire load transfer have been problems.

Examples of different types of towing devices may be seen in thefollowing patents: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,473,334 to Brown; 3,924,763 toPigeon; and 3,547,290 to Fratzke et al. A number of problems andcomplications have been encountered, however, with many prior art towingdevices. First, it is obviously desirable to remove disabled vehiclesfrom roadways quickly and efficiently. Many prior art devices, however,require that time-consuming physical work be done by the driver, e.g. insecuring the vehicle wheels or in engaging extra attachments. Second, anumber of prior art devices do not easily adjust to different tiresizes, flat or missing tires, vehicles of varying widths, vehicles inpotholes or against curbs, etc. Third, replacement parts have beenexpensive. Fourth, damage to the vehicle during both attachment andtowing resulting from undesirable forces on the vehicle frame is notunlikely. Finally, because of the complexity of many prior art towingdevices, driver training may be lengthy and complicated.

There is thus a need in the art for a versatile towing device which willeliminate the aforementioned problems while providing for ease andefficiency in towing. The apparatus and method of the present inventionare addressed to this need, and provide a versatile, fast, andsubstantially foolproof towing device designed to substantially reducethe time, labor, and risk involved in towing.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide anapparatus for towing vehicles, which apparatus can be used to quicklyand efficiently lift and secure a vehicle by its wheels.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatusfor towing vehicles, which apparatus is comprised of relativelyuncomplicated component parts, is inexpensive to repair, is relativelyeasy to manufacture, and does not require any extra attachments duringuse.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an apparatus fortowing vehicles, which apparatus secures the wheels of a vehicle whilelifting, without additional time or labor.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide anapparatus for towing vehicles, which apparatus substantially reduces thetime and effort spent by the tow truck driver in securing the vehicle tobe towed.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide anapparatus for towing vehicles, which apparatus substantially reduces thetime spent in driver training.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatusfor towing vehicles, which apparatus automatically and easily adjusts todifferent size tires, different vehicle positions, such as against acurb or in a pothole, different vehicle widths, and flat or missingtires.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide anapparatus for towing vehicles, which apparatus substantially reduces thelikelihood of damage to a vehicle by compensating for changes in thegrade of the road during towing.

It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a quickand efficient method of towing vehicles such that driver time and effortis substantially reduced.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentfrom the study of the following description and attached drawings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a two basket issituated at either end of a cross bar operatively attached to therearward end of a tow truck, and is used as a wheel-retaining means intowing a vehicle. The tow basket incorporates within its structure ameans for lifting the wheels of a vehicle to be towed, which liftingmeans is operably engaged by a ground engaging means on which the towbasket rests. As the vehicle is lifted, a pivoting structure within thetow basket pivots with the shifting weight of the vehicle from aninitial position toward a final position where the wheel is securelyretained. The tow baskets provide a mechanism by which the vehicleweight may be retained close to the body of the tow truck, thussubstantially reducing the likelihood of damage to the vehicle. And,while the tow basket may be put to a number of uses, its primary use isas such a wheel-retaining means for use in towing or carrying a vehicle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the tow basket in its initial position.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the tow basket in its final positionwherein a vehicle wheel is securely retained.

FIG. 3 is a partially cross-sectional view of the pivotable connectionbetween the tow truck boom and the bar on which the tow baskets aresituated.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Broadly, and referring to FIG. 1, the invention is an apparatus forlifting and securing the wheel of a vehicle to be towed, and includes atow basket 10 having a front end 10A positioned toward the vehicle wheel11 (shown in phantom) when loading, and a rearward end mounted on crossbar 12. The tow basket further includes lifting means 22A which liftsthe vehicle wheel onto the tow basket, pivoting means 46 which ispreferably an angular frame, and retaining means 24A (shown in FIG. 2)for maintaining the wheel in a secured position during towing. While thetow basket may be put to a number of uses, e.g. as a dolly or on a carcarrier, its primary use is as a wheel retaining means for use in towinga car.

In a preferred embodiment, then, tow baskets are slidably mounted oneither end of cross bar 12, thus providing for easy adjustment tovarying vehicle widths. Cross bar 12 is connected at right angles to aboom 14 which is rearwardly extendible from the body of a tow truck (notshown). As the boom is extended toward a central point between eitherthe front wheels or the rear wheels of a vehicle to be towed, towbaskets 10 approach the vehicle wheels.

As the vehicle to be towed is loaded, the tow baskets are lowered ontoground engaging means 22, preferably support wheels located at the frontend 10A of the tow baskets, and rolled toward the vehicle. As eachbasket is caused to approach and contact each tire, the vehicle islifted onto conveyor belt 24 and over first roller 26. Lifting means 22Aincludes a plurality of rollers 26, 34, 38, 58, and 70, including firstroller 26 rotatably mounted on front end 10A and drive shaft 23, and isoperatively connected to ground engaging means 22. As may be seen,lifting means 22A comprises a gear arrangement 28 by which groundengaging means 22 operably controls the rotation of first roller 26 andconveyor belt 24 superposed around tow basket 10. Ground engaging means22 is preferably a wheel positioned at inner end 23A of shaft 23 and mayoptionally include a second wheel 21 positioned adjacent outer shaft 40.Roller 26 and shaft 23 are operably connected by means of interlockingsets of teeth 30 and 32, respectively, thus forming a drive mechanism.As the tow baskets approach and contact the vehicle, the vehicle wheelsare caused to move upward and into the tow baskets as follows. Viewingthe tow baskets from a position between the two baskets, ground engagingmeans 22 causes second shaft 23 to roll counterclockwise towards thevehicle as the tow baskets are rolled toward the vehicle, which by meansof the aforementioned gear arrangement causes first roller 26 to rollclockwise, away from the vehicle, thus lifting the vehicle wheel ontoconveyor belt 24. Additional force is provided by means of hydraulicextension of outer boom 14 toward the vehicle to be towed, thus"pushing" the tow baskets into the vehicle wheels.

As each vehicle wheel is lifted into the tow basket, it is, as statedabove, initially lifted over first roller 26. It is then lifted overthird roller 34 and further upwards on conveyor belt 24 toward fourthroller 38. As the vehicle wheel approaches fourth roller 38, frame 46gradually pivots rearwards toward the tow truck, while inner and outershafts 40 and 40A gradually slide into hollow tubes 42, thus compressingthe entire structure to allow for slack in belt 24. Springs 44, whichmaintain helical tension within the tow basket, compress as well.Pivoting frame 46 is an angular structure having initially verticalsupport members 74 connected at right angles to initially horizontalsupport members 76. Rod 48 extends between the two areas at which thesupport members are perpendicularly connected, and is held in place byfastener means 52 such as a screw. Rollers 34 and 38 may be seen toparallel the support rod at either end of the frame, and are similarlydisposed on rotatable shafts 62 and 66, respectively.

Referring now to FIG. 2, that illustration shows the tow basket afterpivoting of frame 46 from the initial position illustrated in FIG. 1 toa final position in which the vehicle wheel is securely retained. Thevehicle wheel is secured between third roller 34 and fifth roller 58 onconveyor belt 24. The towed wheel is thus retained between rollers 34and 58 which are approximately level with the wheel midpoint; roller 58secures the wheel during decleration. The weight of the towed wheel ispreferably close to or on roller 38. Frame 46 has pivoted 90° with theweight of the vehicle, so that initially vertical support members 74 nowrest horizontally on extension 54 of cross bar 12, and initiallyhorizontal support members 76 are now vertical. Frame members 50 aredisposed within the same plane as extension 54 and at right anglesthereto. Sixth roller 70 is retained between frame members 50 by meansof rotatable shaft 64. Extending upwardly and perpendicularly from framemembers 50 are support columns 56, between which fifth roller 58 isdisposed by means of rotatable shaft 60.

FIG. 3 illustrates the novel connection between outer boom 14 and crossbar 12. Inner boom 16 extends from outer boom 14 towards cross bar 12and is connected perpendicularly thereto, maintaining upper supportplate 19 and lower support plate 18 in substantially parallel positionson either side of bar 12. Lower plate 18 is provided with a raised,generally conical structure 80 adapted to fit within correspondingsubstantially conical cavity 82 located on bar 12. After assembly of thecross bar 12 between plates 18 and 19, pin 20 is inserted throughgenerally circular aperture 78 in upper plate 19, and further throughgenerally cylindrical passageway 88 in conical structure 80. Fastener 84is inserted through passage 86 in the protruding end of pin 20 in orderto secure the pin. This conically pivotable connection allows somedegree of lateral movement during both loading and unloading so that thetow basket lift apparatus will be on the same general plane as thevehicle to be towed. However, the possibility of such lateral movementis eliminated during towing by the weight of the vehicle which creates adownward force on bar 12. Thus, when towing, there is some distancebetween plate 19 and bar 12, while during loading, on the other hand, adistance is maintained between plate 18 and bar 12.

The unloading process is a simple reversal of the loading process; towbaskets 10, which are maintained in a raised position during towing, areset onto the ground, resting on ground engaging means 22, and pivotingmeans 46 pivots toward the towed vehicle, releasing the vehicle wheels.

It is to be understood that while the invention has been described inconjunction with the preferred specific embodiment thereof and that thedescription is intended to illustrate and not limit the scope of theinvention, which is defined by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:
 1. An apparatus for lifting and securing the wheel of a vehicleto be towed, comprising:a tow basket having a front end positionabletoward said vehicle, said front end mounted on ground engaging means,and a rearward end, said rearward end mounted on a support shaft; meansfor lifting a vehicle wheel onto said tow basket into an initialposition and being operatively connected to said ground engaging meansand engaged thereby, said lifting means comprising a plurality ofrollers, including a first roller rotatably mounted on said front end ofsaid tow baskets and a conveyor belt superposed around said tow basketand operably engaged by said plurality of rollers including said firstroller; pivoting means for carrying said wheel from said initialposition into a final position as said wheel is lifted onto said towbasket; and, means for retaining said wheel in said final position. 2.The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said wheel is supported in saidinitial position by said pivoting means.
 3. A towing device for avehicle, the towing device being attachable to the rear of a tow truck,comprising:an outer boom extendible from said truck; a cross baroperatively connected perpendicularly to said outer boom and beingconically pivotable, the connection between said outer boom and saidcross bar of a construction sufficient to allow for lateral movementduring loading of a vehicle to be towed and unloading of the vehicle;and, a tow basket situated at either end of said bar, said basketcomprising a front end positionable toward a vehicle to be towed, saidfront end mounted on ground engaging means, and a rearward end, saidrearward end mounted on said cross bar, means for lifting the wheel of avehicle onto said tow basket into an initial position, pivoting meansfor carrying said wheel from said initial position into a final positionas said wheel is lifted onto said tow basket, and means for retainingsaid wheel in said second position.
 4. A towing device for a vehicle,the towing device being attachable to the rear of a tow truck,comprising:a pair of tow baskets, each tow basket being mounted onground engaging means; means for lifting the wheels of a vehicle to betowed onto the tow baskets into an initial position, the lifting meansbeing operatively connected to the ground engaging means and engagedthereby, the lifting means having a plurality of rollers and conveyorbelt associated with each tow basket, each conveyor belt beingsuperposed around a corresponding tow basket and operably engaged by therollers; pivoting means for carrying the wheels of a vehicle to be towedfrom the initial position into a final position as the wheels are liftedonto the tow baskets; means for retaining the wheels of a vehicle in thefinal position; and means for attaching the towing device to a towtruck.